Today, you will read a story titled, "The Paperboy". As you read, think about the actions of the characters and the events of the stories. Answer the questions to help you write an essay. Read the story titled, "The Paperboy" by Dav Pilkey. Then answer Questions 1 through 4.
The Paperboy By Dav Pilkey The mornings of the paperboy are still dark and they are always cold even in the summer. And on these cold mornings the paperboy's bed is still warm and it is always hard to get out even for his dog......but they do. /, And softly they step down the quiet hall past the door where the paperboy's father and mother are sleeping. (6 Past the door where his sister is asleep. And down to the kitchen where they eat from their bowls. & And out to the garage where they quickly fold their papers, snapping on green rubber bands and placing them in a large red bag. & It's hard to ride a bike when you are loaded down with newspapers. But the paperboy has learned how to do this, and he is good at it. The paperboy knows his route by heart, so he doesn't ever think about which house to pedal to. Instead, he is thinking about other things. Big Things. And small things. And sometimes he is thinking about nothing at all. His dog, too, knows this route by heart. He knows which trees are for sniffing. He knows which birdbaths are for drinking, which squirrels are for chasing, and which cats are for growling at. All the world is asleep except for the paperboy and his dog. And this is the time when they are the happiest.
(j^ But little by little the world around them wakes up. (f?) The stars and the moon fade away and the skies become orange and pink. And when the paperboy has delivered his last newspaper, he and his dog race home. Jb) And his empty red bag flaps behind him in the cold morning air. @Soon all they around. are His back father home. and It mother is still dark are awake inside, and but talking the sounds softly of in their morning bed, are ([%) and his sister is downstairs watching Saturday morning cartoons. (jj) And back inside his own room the paperboy pulls down his shade and crawls back into his bed, which is still warm. And while all of the world is waking up, the paperboy is going back to sleep and his dog is sleeping, too. Their work is done...... and now is the time for dreaming.
1. Part A What does snapping mean in Paragraph 7? a. He is calling to his dog. b. The red bag is making a snapping sound. c. He is putting rubber bands around the newspapers. d. He is throwing the newpapers into the red bag. Part B What statement best supports the answer to Part A? a. "...and placing them in a large red bag." b. "His dog, too, knows this route by heart." c. "And his empty red bag flaps behind him in the cold morning air. " d. "...they quickly fold their papers,...and placing them in a large red bag. 2. Part A What is the central message of the story? a. Dogs are helpful when you have a dog. b. Having a job is a big responsibility. c. Being a paperboy is fun. d. It's hard to wake up early and go to work.
Part B What statement best supports the answer to Part A? a. "And on these cold mornings the paperboy's bed is still warm and it is always hard to get out even for his dog..." b. "All the world is asleep except for the paperboy and his dog. And this is the time when they are the happiest." c. "His dog, too, knows this route by heart." d. "It's hard to ride a bike when you are loaded down with newspapers. But the paperboy has learned how to do this, and he is good at it." 3. Part A Based on this text, which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a paperboy? a. Knowing the delivery route b. Waking up early c. Eating breakfast d. Preparing the newspapers Part B What details from the story support your answer? a. "And down to the kitchen where they eat from their bowls." b. "The paperboy knows his route by heart,..." c. "The mornings of the paperboy are still dark and they are always cold even in the summer." d. "And out to the garage where they quickly fold their papers, snapping on green rubber bands and placing them in a large red bag."
Refer to the story, "The Paperboy." Then answer Question 4. 4. This story tells about a boy who has a job as a paperboy. Write a letter from the boy to his grandma, describing the work that he does, and how he feels about having this responsibility. Use words and actions from the story to support your essay.
Answer Key i c Se C 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. C 6. A